All the lessons they have learned in the classroom became very real for students Wednesday in Arkansas Tech University's Emergency Administration and Management (EAM) program when they participated in tornado damage relief efforts in Atkins.

Approximately 30 Tech EAM students reported to the Wilson J. Matthews Civic Center in Atkins at 6 a.m. Wednesday to help local authorities conduct preliminary damage assessments following a tornado that affected more than 40 homes and took the lives of at least three residents in the Pope County community Tuesday night.

"This was a real eye-opener," said Zach Harris, a senior Tech EAM student from Alma. "I didn't realize how extensive the damage was until I got to Atkins. If any good at all came from this situation, it was that Tech's EAM students received real-world experience in the field of disaster management. Nothing in the classroom can prepare someone for what we saw and experienced today."

The students were functioning as part of the Pope County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Students in the field were under the direction of Tech EAM faculty member Beth Wilson Gray, who said several phases of the CERT members' training were utilized Wednesday.

"In our EAM courses, we cover many of the social issues involved with handling disasters, which include coping skills for emergency managers as well as those they serve," Gray said. "In our CERT training, we specifically cover the emotions associated with disaster response and recovery efforts for not only the victims and their families, but also the responders and volunteers."

The CERT received support from the Arkansas Tech Emergency Operations Center (EOC), located in Dean Hall on the Tech campus. It was manned by Ed Leachman, head of the Tech EAM Department; Jonathan Collins, technology specialist in the Tech EOC; and Dr. Michael Garner, a member of the Tech EAM faculty.

"We have the technology to be able to support the operations by the CERT," Leachman said. "We have provided overview and detailed maps to meet their needs. This is the first time that the CERT has been activated for a true emergency situation, and we are proud of the efforts of our students during this difficult time for our neighbors."

Tech EOC representatives were able to use tools such as Google Maps to show the path the tornado took and then relay that information to CERT members as they surveyed the damage.

"We have discovered several areas that we can improve upon through this process today," said Garner. "It's one thing to do a table-top exercise and simulate an emergency, but it is altogether different and you face challenges you did not anticipate when it is real. One other benefit we will be able to take forward from this, is that we can examine the path that this storm took and research any commonality to past storms. This will help us identify any corridors and high-risk areas that might exist for the future."

In addition to Tech students assisting with the disaster recovery, many Tech alumni are involved in the process. Gray cited Justin Drittler (Pope County Office of Emergency Management), Tonya Roberts (Sebastian County OEM), Josh Johnston (Johnson County OEM), Ryan Burris (American Red Cross) and Doug Deurr (Pope County EMS) as some of the Tech EAM alumni who are helping Atkins residents put their lives back together.

Leachman said Tuesday's storms underline the need for trained experts in the field of emergency management.

"It's really an evolving profession, because as our society grows and changes, we become more vulnerable to a wider variety of hazards," Leachman said. "We must have professionals who know exactly what to do and how to take advantage of the knowledge that they have so that we can reduce the risk and reduce the overall impact of these types of events."